Discuss the 2012 federal budget!

Thursday at 4 pm, you can watch along with Members of Parliament as Conservative finance minister Jim Flaherty unveils his 2012 budget. To watch online, go to cpac.ca

I have been working hard to prepare for this budget. Like many Canadians, I’ll be looking for concrete details, including,

1) Kingston and the Islands

Possible cuts to large employers in the riding such as National Defence or Correctional Services

Possible cuts to funding for research and educational institutions affecting St. Lawrence College, R.M.C., or Queen’s.

Whether the government heeds calls to restore the Eco-energy home retrofit program

Changes to Old Age Security despite the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s calculation that OAS is sustainable as is.

Possible cuts to Veterans Affairs

Infrastructure spending plans affecting projects being readied in the riding

Other possible cuts to employment, immigration, and other federal government services, including direct job losses in the riding

Possible indirect financial burdens imposed on the Province of Ontario or municipalities

2) My critic work in Science and Technology and Federal Economic Development for Northern and Southern Ontario, knowing that innovation and commercialization are needed to drive job creation and economic growth for Canadians

Possible cuts to the Scientific Research & Experimental Development tax credit, and whether it is replaced by direct grants,

Making sure that new direct grants are free of political influence, and are flexible enough for cash-poor early stage companies

Continued cuts to basic research funding relative to funding that is tied to industrial partnerships

Funding for commercialization of discoveries from basic research, and the early stage companies involved in those activities

We know that over the last six months, this majority government, with a national economy buoyed by strong commodities prices, has been focused on jails, jets, and messaging instead of improving health care, pensions, and constructing a real plan for long term job growth across the country.

I want you to know that I’m ready to speak out on behalf of Kingston and the Islands and, as part of the Liberal team, to speak out on behalf of Canada’s future. I encourage you to go to the TedHsuMP Facebook page and join the local discussion with other constituents from Kingston and the Islands.